What is Child Sponsorship?

Some organizations use the child sponsorship scheme simply as a fund-raising tool. As long as they are providing the services they promise and are above-board with both sponsor and child, and as long as the process is respectful to all, I don't see anything wrong with that. But, for my purposes, it doesn't qualify as a "child sponsorship organization".

Other sponsorship schemes are based upon just one or two facets of development. Some will pay school fees, some will send care packages, others may pay for food or medical care. These can also be well-run schemes, but are not comprehensive development. I think that it is important to note, here, that these types of schemes can be more likely to run the risk of developing dependence rather than independence.

So, according to my definition, what is a Child Sponsorship program?

• A Child Sponsorship program is comprehensive. The focus is on the child, but also the child within the family, and the family within the community. Ideally, it looks to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child for inspiration.
• It empowers the sponsors, the children, their families, & their communities.
• It supports the community in a lasting way. The goal is to eventually leave the community strong enough to be able to support its members without such comprehensive assistance.
• It respects the child and his/her culture. Lasting development cannot come in the form of imperialism, even if it's good-hearted. There are many internationally-recognized principles of development, but also a great deal of guidance must come from the families, the communities, and the culture.
• It provides a connection between two individuals. It enlarges our world. We learn things about the world that help us to see things from a new point of view. For a child in desperate poverty, the knowledge that a sponsor loves him/her can be a huge ray of hope. For a sponsor, the love of a sponsored child can be a light in our discouraging world.

• The only answer to global poverty. Micro-credit programs, Third World Debt Relief, programs like Habitat for Humanity, & international policy changes are only a few of the other tools in our fight.
• An instant solution. Desperate poverty does not appear overnight. We can surely expect visible differences in the lives of our sponsored children. However, it may take generations of concerted effort for families and communities to become independent.
• A pen-pal program. Person-to-person connection is a key componenet to child sponsorship programs, but it is much larger commitment than that.